Growing up over the years, I have been through many trials and tribulations, but I always say the only way to get over things is to get through them and lean on the people who make their support available; it really does take a village, and you cannot have the good without the bad. I have grown up in many different environments, had the opportunity to be around many different people, continuously being influenced by many different things, and with this abundance of experience, I have had the privilege to learn more than I could have ever imagined. Everyone and everything I know has shaped me into the person I am, and with that realization, I believe my ambitions in education as a future social worker are fitting. It's known to be quite a feat, notably difficult with the things you may have to deal with, but it's a passion I cannot ignore. As a whole, I just hope to reach and positively impact as many people as I can. I want to provide resources, bring smiles to frowns, give good news and carefully provide the bad. If someone feels alone, if someone needs help, if someone just needs someone to talk to,I want to be able to be the person they feel like they can comfortably lean on. Throughout my entire life, my mom has been the biggest positive impact to my life in a countless number of ways. When things got hard at home, she never wavered, she always showed up for me, and she never complained, no matter what. When money got tight, she still went out of her way to provide amazing birthdays and experiences to remember. If she had a bad day at work, she had the ability to come home and not show it. Although things could get negative, there was always a bubble she could blow that protected both my brother and I from it. She has always been my number one support system, since day one, and I don't think there is any part of me I don't owe to the foundation she created for me. I am a myriad of those around me, but it all began with her and her steadfast approach to giving me as much of the good that life has to offer, and all I aspire to do with my future in social work is to continue that legacy.

Blush pink tights, a baby soft leotard, a silky black skirt, and leather ballet slippers; that’s what I wore to my very first ballet class when I was only three years old. Too small to reach the ballet barre, I began a journey of self discovery I didn’t know I was in for. I was on top of the world, feeling excited and looking forward to a night in my new dance studio, surrounded by older and "cooler" girls in pretty outfits and classmates jumping around. For the last 16 years, I have never once gone without that feeling. Fifteen recitals, countless shoes and costumes, many conventions and competitions, tons of bobby pins, and even more love and growth. Dance is more than a hobby; dance is an experience I've lived through, laying the foundation for the person I am. Dancing forces you to be in tune with your body and the world around you, and it’s an art form that is accessible everywhere. I was blessed to participate in studios in my hometown, finally ending up exactly where I belonged. Dance has built my strength, but also continues to influence my identity. My personal image was influenced by dance; being surrounded by girls constantly uplifting each other, sharing personal struggles, and understanding that despite our personal struggles, there was always room for each other - music flowing through the air and energy flowing through our bodies. We can be confident and sassy and true to who we are, no judgments. My drive to become a social worker stems from my participation and experience in the studio; I always want to help and be involved. I have cultivated relationships with others that give them a safe space around me, and an unconditional effort of support. Dance helped me through the toughest times in my life - my medical diagnosis, losing my childhood dog and my grandfather, issues I dealt with at home. Nothing compares to walking into the studio, lacing my shoes, and drowning out my thoughts with my carefully crafted playlist. I believe I got through those experiences to become someone who helps others get through difficult times in their lives. My approach to everything is a product of my lifelong participation in this sport; never give up, and if you fall down, you get right back up, smiling even bigger than before. There is always room for failure and mistakes, but there is much more room for success and progress. Furthermore, it’s also given me a mental outlet. When I’m sad, stressed, or even joyful, I can channel that energy and express myself in a more positive way and allow myself to feel it all. If I need to talk about something or get something off of my chest, I can count on my teammates to sit down with me and talk it out. Nothing compares to the feeling I get when I’m dancing. Not once has it changed in 15 years, and I don’t believe it ever will; it has given me the privilege to express myself properly, grow as an individual, and has no limits. I am the person I am because of dance, and it will continue to influence the person I become. I will show up for others because I know what it feels like to need and have that. Through my future journey as a social worker, I will embrace my choreography of resilience, my music of empathy, and my technique of support. I will continue to show up for others just as dance has continued to show up for me.

Personally, I find Taylor Swift's album "Red" the most moving, because I personally believe it is one of her most versatile albums. She wrote "Ronan" as a tribute to a child's journey with cancer, and it's a song that is so deeply emotional and moving that it isn't like anything else. There are fun songs like "22" and "Girl At Home" that are fun songs to dance and sing along to, but then you also have songs like "Better Man" and "All Too Well 10 Minute Version" that are ballads you can cry to. I think this album incorporates her lyricism beautifully, and shows both simplicities and complexities in the emotions she, and everyone who listens, feels and the songs have the ability to be open for interpretation, allowing her audience to make these songs personal and helpful. Along with the songs, it also show's Taylor Swift's transition and emotions she feels throughout adulthood, and shows the movement from Country to Pop music, she was able to begin that transition. Similar to the theme of her new album, Red shows a huge change in her career, much like the one she is going through now, and it highlights the change and evolution we all go through, and really adds to the depth of the album itself. Therefore, I believe that "Red" is the most moving, and it always will be.